


Discovery

by DolleyAntoinette



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: 90s AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Artists tryna make an honest living, HIV/AIDS, Kind of spoilers? Stuff to do with Alm's backstory, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationships & Characters added as story progresses, Slice of life I think, Social Class Devision, Social Commentary, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 13:45:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13882107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DolleyAntoinette/pseuds/DolleyAntoinette
Summary: As the 20th century reaches it's final decade, the overwhelming threat of HIV, loss of loved ones, the social division, and so much more, becomes a topical issue between a group of people, all connected through a string of coincidences.As Alm recognises this, he takes up the camera and films a documentary based around how society has affected them all, but in the process, he learns more about his friends and himself, than he ever though he could.*Characters, Relationships, and Tags are added alongside the story as it progresses, much more are too be added*





	Discovery

_ December 1st, 1992. As I am writing this script, I am sat within the Ram Café. _

_ As I gaze out the window, I can see the streets of Valentia, and I recall the fonder times, it seems our little city has grown more and more hateful in my eyes throughout the years and _

 

As green eyes scanned over the 3 lines he had written, before he could even finish his sentence, Albein ‘Alm’ Rudolf tore the sheet of paper from the typewriter, immediately scrunching it up into a tight ball and sighing. He brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it in frustration Alm didn’t even want to know how long he had been sitting in this cafe trying to write a script which would please him, suit the topic of his documentary, and sound the same way people spoke.

 

Ever since he moved out of his father’s house, Alm was determined to do something with his life. And with only a camera, a typewriter, and his friends, he knew that he needed to document the life around them. He refused to take any money from his father, after all, what kind of hypocrite would he be to film a documentary about the social division of classing, and be taking daddy’s money on the side? It left a bad taste in his mouth, and he knew he was going to have to make a name for himself BY himself.

 

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of a tea cup being placed down on his table.

 

“Huh?” Alm blinked at the drink, startled, jolting up slightly, before blinking and turning to face the waitress who placed it there “Oh, uh, sorry, miss, I don’t think I ordered this-”

 

She smiled, shaking her head “I know. It just looked like you could do with something to help your mind.” The girl’s head tilted slightly, smiling again, a warm flush of pink on her lightly freckled cheeks, and her soft, honey blonde braids tilting with her head.

 

“Oh, right.” Alm replied with a friendly nod “That’s very nice of you, thanks!” He took a brief moment to look around the empty café, it was a small thing, hardly any space for more than 40 or so customers at a time, with tables that hadn’t been cleaned yet and no workers in, save the pretty waitress who gave him the drink “Oh, um, when do you close? I guess I haven’t been able to keep track of the time, heh.”

 

The waitress had already begun clearing up the table next to him, but remained facing him, enjoying the interaction “We actually closed about 15 minutes ago, but don’t worry! It’s no big deal!”

 

“Are you sure about that? I mean, I can leave, it’s no big dea-”

 

She spun around, grabbing everything from the table, placing it on her large tray, pressing it against her waist as she turned back around to look at him, cutting him off “I was going to stay to clean up anyway, it’s nice to have some company.”

 

Alm smiled and nodded, taking a sip of the tea he was given, watching her as she continued to wander around the tiny cafe, placing various cups and plates on her tray.

 

As she walked around, she glanced to his typewriter and the various crumpled up sheets of paper he had lying around the table, the waitress grew curious as she continued to look at it “I didn’t know people were still using them, ya’ know, with the computers coming in and all that.”

 

He shrugged slightly, a small smile on his face “Yeah, they’re kinda outdated now, aren’t they? But I prefer to do my writing out of the house, and this is the easiest way to do that, and the nostalgia's kinda nice too.”

 

“I suppose that’s true!” She giggled, placing the tray down on the table, before leaning over closer to him slightly “So, are you an author or something?”

 

Alm shook his head in response “I’m actually trying to write a script for a documentary I’m working on. ...Uh… Please empathise the ‘trying’, it’s really going too well.” He sighed, as he chatted, he began packing away his papers and notes, “I don’t even know how I can write a script for something like this- Never mind.”   
  
“Something like what?” Chocolate brown eyes scanned over his face, before taking a seat down next to him “I want to know what your documentary is about, I might be able to help!” the girl leaned forwards slightly in interest, resting her head in her hand.

 

“Well, I wanted to film something about the social divide between the people here in Valentia, we’re not a huge city, but I feel like I need to make something of it. A lot of it is also about the homeless and HIV.”

 

“Do… Do you have… ?”

 

Alm quickly shook his head “I don’t.” he grabbed his duffle bag, placing his typewriter in “I actually come from uptown in Rigel, so I mean...  It’s a little less common up there,” he sighed, before looking at her as he stood up “Sadly that means that a lot of them are much less open to the idea of finding out more about it, but you know, that’s what motivated me to start, I have some great friends and when we found out they were positive, I knew I had to do something about it.”

 

The blonde smiled “That’s very honourable of you to do. I can’t wait to see what you do with your documentary,” she stood up as he did, grabbing her tray again “You know.. I’m actually a writer myself, maybe sometime we could meet up and I could help you?”

 

“That would be nice.” he stuck out his hand “I’m Alm. It’s nice to meet you …?”

 

“Faye.” the waitress replied, shaking Alm’s hand.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Faye.” He smiled, grabbing his bag and shoving it over his shoulder “Do you have a phone number or something I can use to contact you?”

 

Faye’s dark eyes widened and she nodded “Oh, of course! I’m always here if you need it, and…” she quickly grabbed a pencil from behind her ear, something she used to take orders while working, before reaching out to grab one of Alm’s discarded paper’s, scribbling her number down on it, before handing it to him “Here’s my number, Alm!”

 

“Heh, thanks. I guess I’ll see you around then.”   
  
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

 

And with that, Alm left, with a friendly wave, he walked out of the now a lot more gloomy café. Faye simply watched as he left, until he was out of sight, before sighing and grabbing the half-full cup of tea he had left on his table, and placing it on her tray, getting back to cleaning up, despite the heart-throbbing encounter she just had, but something about her couldn’t help but have a skip her walk as she continued her job.

Alm. What a sweet guy.

 

* * *

  
  


The journey back to his apartment was a short, yet cold, one. It was only a five minute walk back to the building, and yet the winter’s wind still viciously attacked him like a wild dog, by the time he arrived back, his hair was blown all over the place and his fingers were freezing to the point where he struggled to even get his keys into the door.

 

Alm stepped into the untidy apartment, his eyes briefly scanning over the mess of nothing his apartment was (he honestly had no idea how people so broke still managed to make such a mess when they literally owned nothing of importance). He dropped his keys into the bowl of random crap that was sat on the table next to the door, before dropping his bad with a heavy thud to the ground, and collapsing on the couch, breathing into his icy hands.

 

“What took you so long?” asked a brunette sat on a worn out, second hand armchair that was seated beside the couch. He had his feet on the table filled with used cereal bowls, an answering machine, and all the shit in between.

 

Alm took his hands away from his mouth, moving his fingers around in hopes of warming them up “The typewriter is heavier than you think to get around, especially in this weather.” he replied with a shrug “I also stayed overtime at the café, I ended up losing track of time.”   
  


His roommate lifted an eyebrow, placing his feet to the ground and leaning in slightly “Did you get your script finally written down? It’d be nice to actually see you get some work done, I’d rather not be the only one paying rent around here.”

 

“Tobin, it’s not like that! I’ll start earning something soon! And it’s not just me, Gray also hasn’t been-”   
  
“Stop making excuses and answer my question, did you get anything down?”

 

Alm sheepishly shrugged again “Well… No. I just couldn’t find any inspiration, you know?”

 

Tobin sighed, rolling his eyes slightly “Alm, buddy, I love you, but we’re broke-”   
  
“Hey, hey, hey! Listen!” Alm cut him, off, leaning in himself “Now, I know I haven’t been able to write my own script, however I met someone who can help.”   
  
“Oh?” Tobin lifted an eyebrow “Do tell.”

 

“A waitress at the café said she’s a writer. She also had a lot of interest in my work, she gave me her number and everything! Trust me! As soon as I start getting some good footage and a script, I’ll be off in no time!”   
  


“Wait a second!” Tobin’s interest suddenly changed away from Alm’s job, to who he was working with “You got a girl’s number?! Hey Gray! Get in here! Alm got a girl’s number!”

 

“Alm got a girl’s number?!” And with that, in came rushing in Gray, Alm’s other roommate. “Is she cute?”

 

Alm groaned “Guys!” he let out “It’s not like that! She’s a sweet girl, but…”   
  


“But what?” Gray asked, walking over to the two of them and taking a seat himself “What is it? She not pretty enough for you or something?”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with her! I’m just not interested in dating a girl right now! She offered to help me write my script is all.”   
  


Tobin couldn’t help but smirk, turning to his dark skinned friend with a chuckle “Hey, Gray. Alm’s new lady is gonna help him ‘write a script’.” to which Gray chuckled back in response.

 

Alm groaned again, rolling his head back “Guys! Stop it.”

 

Gray stopped laughing, but kept the twin smirk that Tobin shared “Okay, okay! But just saying, don’t throw away any opportunities before you get them. And if this… Waitress girl offers you a little gift, you should just take it is all.”

 

“You are both children, I swear to god. I’m not interested in her, or starting a relationship. I want to focus on my film and make a name for myself, and maybe then my family will recognise why I need to do this stuff!” Alm shut his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose “Father trusts my judgement, but I know how he gets. He still worries for me and I know he doesn’t think this is going to give me a stable future. Berkut on the other hand is more concerned about our family's reputation than anything.”

 

Gray raised an eyebrow, looking over to Alm “Berkut, he’s your cousin, yeah?”

 

Alm nodded “Yup. We grew up in the same house though, I wish I could say we’re like brothers, but he’s always been kind hasty around me. Guess it’s some kind of unspoken rivalry.” Alm shrugged “It’s never really bothered me much though, I just wish that the times I go to visit home he wasn’t so icy around me.”

 

Tobin shrugged back “My sisters get the same with each other, it’s something that just happens, ya’ know? I’m sure he cares for you really.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I understand where he comes from and all that, I just wish he was more open to my lifestyle and who I hang out with and the fact I’m trying to do something with my life instead of going into the family business like the rest of them.”

 

“Well, whatever happens, we’re always be here.” Gray replied, wrapping his arm around Alm’s shoulders “We’ll all be a family, even if we can’t get along with our real ones!”

 

Tobin chuckled and nodded “I’ll agree to that.”

  
  


Alm had to admit, as much as these two and their skirt chasing adventures could tease and annoy him, he wouldn’t give them up for the world. He was glad to have such good friends stick by his side, no matter what was going on, he could talk to them about anything.

 

...Or at least anything that didn’t involve socialising with a girl.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I last uploaded a fanfiction, I actually have been writing up stuff, but more often than not, I haven't been finishing them, this idea has been with me a while now and I have a TON of ideas and arcs to go through with this! I plan to update it whenever I can (alongside my normal melodramatic Berkut/Rinea fanfics), so I hope you enjoy and stick around! This chapter seems a little awkward for now, but I promise things will get more interesting as it progresses.


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